Rubick continued, "We'll put the school and hospital in the east. The west will become the factory district, while the south will connect to the Dock from Angel Island and serve as a trade district."
Rubick took pen and paper from Conis and sketched a rough plan. He circled an area in the east. "People will live here. We'll reserve the north for barracks."
Foer and Kapa had no objections. Rubick had thoroughly indulged his urge to plan a city.
"Fifth, I'll go to the All Blue and find a skilled shipwright. If Sky Island is going to develop, we need an easier way to travel. That Ark looked promising. With a power source, it should be able to take us where we need to go."
Rubick spread his arms and declared with theatrical enthusiasm, "Imagine taking an Airship down to the All Blue—quickly and safely. Then we could bring people from the All Blue to the Sky Country. Once the route is safe and reliable, we can start trading."
"Your Majesty," Foer said, "my men helped build that Ark from start to finish. Building another would be simple enough. But we can't solve the power problem, and how much energy would it take to move an Airship that big?"
You've never seen one run on cola. Rubick figured anyone in his previous life who could turn cola into that much energy would deserve a Nobel Prize.
"I know someone who might be able to do it, but I'm not sure. Let's set that aside for now."
Rubick continued, "Sixth, we need to settle on a national flag. Here's my design."
Rubick drew a rough sketch. "Blue on top, green in the middle, white on the bottom—to represent the Sky Country. Above us is blue sky, beneath us are white